From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying
Tigers, was the first scheduled cargo airline in the United States and a major military
charter operator during the Cold War era for both cargo and personnel (the
latter with leased aircraft). The company was started by Robert
William Prescott. It was headquartered in Los Angeles, California.[1]

The airline was named after the Flying Tigers fighter unit of World War II,
officially the 1st American Volunteer Group. Ten former AVG pilots
formed the Flying Tiger Line (originally called National Skyway
Freight) after returning to the United States in 1945, using a
small fleet of Budd
CompanyC-93 Conestoga freighters purchased as war
surplus from the United States Navy. For the next
four years, Flying Tiger Line carried air freight on contract.

Over the years, Flying Tigers carried a number of unique
cargoes, including the famed orca Shamu and the torch of the Statue of
Liberty.

During the Korean
War, Flying Tiger aircraft were chartered to transport troops
and supplies from the United States to Asia; Flying Tigers later
received a cargo route award to Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.
The airline also played a major role in the construction of the Distant Early Warning Line,
flying equipment to remote outposts in northern Canada and
Alaska.

Flying Tiger Line Douglas DC-4 Skymaster at Manchester England in
May 1955

Flying Tiger Line adopted the Canadair CL-44 swing-tail aircraft in
1961, becoming one of the first carriers in the world to offer
aerial pallet shipping service. In 1965, Flying Tiger Line began
operating jet aircraft (the Boeing 707); in 1974, the airline took
delivery of its first Boeing 747.

The Flying Tiger Line then put in orders for brand new
B-747-200F freighters designated the B747-249F, which at the time
were among the heaviest commercial airplanes flying, weighing in at
823,000 pounds. These aircraft had the powerful "Q" P&W JT9D
engines and heavy landing gear and could simultaneously carry both
250,000 pounds of fuel and 250,000 pounds of cargo loaded through
both the nose door and the side door at the same time. Aircraft
loaders had earlier refused to work at the extreme 30 foot height
necessary for putting freight on the upper deck, so the
"supernumerary area" or "hump" was configured with 19 first class
seats instead which were used to transport livestock handlers,
charter agents and mechanics as well as dead-heading pilots and
flight attendants. Tiger's Ad Hock Charter livestock flights
provided airlift for exotic animals. Two examples were thoroughbred
racehorses and show animals from Stansted, England to the Melbourne
Cup, as well as breeding stock cattle (milk supply) to nations such
as Japan and Thailand. Covert flights for DOD were not uncommon
throughout the airline's history, since its roots were from Civil Air
Transport (CAT), just as was its sister airline Air
America (airline) which was owned by General Claire Lee
Chennault commander of the Flying Tigers fighter squadron in
Southeast Asia.

By the mid-1980s, Flying Tigers operated scheduled cargo service
to six continents and served 58 countries. It surpassed Pan American World Airways
in 1980 as the world's largest air cargo carrier after acquiring
its rival cargo airline Seaboard World Airlines on 1
October, 1980.

It also operated military contract services, most notably Douglas DC-8 routes
between Travis Air Force Base, California
and Japan in the 1970s, followed
by weekly Boeing 747
passenger service between Clark Air Base, Philippines, and St.
Louis, Missouri via Japan, Alaska, and Los Angeles during the 1980s. Tigers
employed approximately 251 flight attendants and carried up to a
record 594 passengers and crew on its MAC all coach passenger
flights. Approximately 998 pilots worked for the airline based
throughout the country. Large crew bases were primarily Los
Angeles, New York and Lockborn, Ohio. Headquartered at LAX, Tigers
was a large employer at the airport with its own engine shop and
jet maintenance business.

Federal
Express purchased Flying Tigers in December 1988. On August 7,
1989 Federal Express merged Flying Tigers into its operations.

Flying Tigers operated a recording company subsidiary, Happy Tiger
Records, from 1969 to 1971.[2][3]
Flying Tigers also made livestock carriers for airplanes. They
often made animal carriers that were comparable in external size
and shape to the standard AMJ container used in the FedEx flight
operations.

Fleet

Boeing 747-200F of Flying Tigers

At the time of its sale Flying Tigers was operating the
following aircraft: